Apparatus for producing vacuums.



J. I. MCCORMICK. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VAGUUMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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J. I. MQGORMIGK. v APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VACUUMS. APPLICATION FILED APR.19, 1913.

1,085,926 Patented Feb. 3, rem

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JOHN I. MCCORMICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VACUUMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. MGCORMIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Vacuums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to improvements in massage apparatus, and more particularly to the means for producing a vacuum, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of the vacuum type, which will be simple, durable, cheap and light in construction; effective, eflicient and easy in operation, and one which may be readily transported.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty, in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away and partly in section of an improved apparatus of this class constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. -Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view' taken on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is a view partly'in elevation, partly in section as taken on line '-l-&, Fig. 3, and with the piston of the suction chamber elevated. Fig. 5 is'an enlarged detail view showing the piston of the suction chamber in two positions. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the weight supporter carriage. Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the weights.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the supporting base of the apparatus upon which is mounted a suction chamber 11, preferably in the form of an upright cylinder, which is constructed of any desired size and any suitable material. Within this cylinder is arranged a piston having a body 12 and a flexible cup shaped member 13, which is carried with the piston and which cup shaped member is of a size to engage the wall of the cylinder. Connected with the piston in any suitable manner is a flexible member 14 which passes over a pulley 15 supported by a suitable bracket 16 and which bracket and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 19, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Serial No. 762,224.

pulley are preferably arranged adjacent the upper end of the cylinder. The flexible member after passing over the pulley passes on the outside of the cylinder 11 and is connected in any suitable manner to a weight carrier 17. This weight carrier is preferably of a shape to encompass the outside of the cylinder 11 and is provided with a supporting ledge 18 upon which ledge a weight 19 is adapted to rest. Any number of supplemental weights 20 may also be provided and the weights may be of any desired size. In order to prevent the weights from interfering with the flexible member at its point of connection with the weight carrier 17, the weights may be provided respectively with the recesses 21, 22. The weights when placed upon the carrier 17 should be of a size to overbalance the piston and the flexible member 14 is of such a length that when the piston is at its lowest point in the cylinder the carrier 17 and the weights supported thereby will be at their highest point. 'Obviously however the relative position of the piston and the weight. carrier may be varied by adjustment of the flexible member 1 1. Mounted also upon the base 10 of the apparatus is a pump designated generally by the reference numeral 23 within which is arranged the piston 24: having a piston rod 25, which latter passes through a guide 26 in the top of the pump cylinder and is connected to a t-readle 27 by means of links 28 connected with a cross head 29 by means of a fastening device 30, and the treadle is pivotally supported as at 31 upon the base 10, so that when the treadle is rocked the piston 2& will be reciprooated in the pump cylinder. The guide 26 of the pump cylinder is provided with openings 32 to permit the air to be forced out of the pump cylinder as the piston therein rises.

Vt ithin the base of thepump cylinder is an aperture 33 having communication with an aperture 34, the latter leading through the side of the pump cylinder, and a valve seat 35 is provided around the aperture 33. A ball valve 36 'rests'upon the valve seat 35 to close the aperture 33, and a tubular member 37 is arranged in the aperture 34: to extend beyond the side of the pump cylinder. Connected with this tubular member 37 is a tubular member 38 which is also connected with a tubular extension 39 leading from the bottom of the suction chamber or cylinder 11.

A flexibletube or pipe iOalso has communication with the bottom of the cylinder or suction chamber 11 and connected with the tree end, of this pipe is a suction cup or noz zle l-hconstructed of any suitable material. Projecting through the nozzle is a threaded tubular member 42 that is provided with a head and a series of openings 44-. The free end oi? the tubular member 42 projects into the free end of the tubular member 40 as shown in Fig. 1. By adjusting the cup or nozzle l1 upon the threaded tubular member til-. the size or". the openings may be varied to regulate the suction through the cup and the member 14-0, but. if desired, a nut or collar may be provided on the tubular men her 42 for holdin the parts in position.

In operation, the nozzle 41 is placed upon the part of the body that it is desired to massage, or is closed by the hand of the operator, the normal position of the piston be ing elevated, while the weight is lowered, and then the treadle 27 is operated to act-uate the pump piston M to exhaust the air from the cylinder or suction chamber 11, on the under side of the piston. This will cause the piston in the suction chamber or cylinder to be lowered and the weight to be elevated. ll hen the piston reaches the limit of its downward movement, and the operator ceases to actuate the treadle then as the weight overbalances the piston the weight will move the piston to raise it when no suction is exerted upon the piston. During the operation of the pump piston 24L, the valve 36 will be unseated when the pump piston rises, and the air will be drawn from the suction chamber or cylinder. As the air is thus withdrawn, the piston 12 in the cylinder will lower and the weights will be raised. As soon as the weights reach the limit of their upward movement, or in fact as soon as they reach any point in their upward travel, the apparatus is ready for use, and the operator may then move the nozzle or cup over the body. As soon as the operator ceases to operate the treadle to relieve the suction on the piston in the cylinder or suction chamber, the weight will start to travel downwardly and thereby raise the piston in the suction chamber. The suction in the chamber 11 will cause a suction through the nozzle 41, and the volume of which suction may be varied by varying the size of the openings -14 in the nozzle, and these openings also act as a check to the incoming air, when the nozzle is raised from the surface of the body to be placed in another position, and to prevent the weight from raising the piston too suddenly, and which action of the piston would result in a considerable loss of power. This suction will always be equalized by the weights, and

ill continue until the piston in the suction chamber reaches the limit of its upward movement, or as long as the operator operates the treadle 27 to exhaust the air from the cylinder or suction chamber, which will draw the piston therein downwardly and raise the weights as before described. In order to prevent injury that may be caused from too great a suction through the nozzle 41 when the latter is applied to the body, by a continued operation of the treadle 27 after the piston in the suction chamber has reached the limit of its downward movement, means are provided for admitting outside air to the cylinder beneath the piston, which will be drawn through the pump. In the present instance this means comprises a cam or projection l6 which is arranged on the inside of the cylinder 16 and in a position that the body of the flexible cup 13 will engage the same just as the piston reaches the limit of its downward movement and will hold the edge of the cup away from the wall of the cylinder at that point and thereby permit the outside air to be drawn through the cylinder through the passage formed by such an opening, to the bottom of the piston, and from thence into the pump cylinder 23 through the tubular members 39, 38, 37. As soon as the weights begin to descend and the piston in the suction chamber to ascend, the flexible cup of the piston 12 will pass outof engagement with the projection 46, as will be understood.

Nhile in the present exemplification of this invention the preferred forms of construction and arrangement of the several parts are herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is 1. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, and two reciprocating elements moving in opposition to each other, one being arranged in the chamber, said chamber being open to outside air, said exhausting device operating to move that one of the elements which is located in the cylinder to shift the other element whereby the latter will move the former upon the cessa tion of the operation of the suction device.

2. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, two reciprocating ele ments moving in opposition to each other, one being arranged in the chamber, said chamber being open to outside air, said exhausting device operating to move that one of the elements which is located in the cylinder to shift the other element whereby the latter will move the former upon the cessation of the operation of the suction device,

and means adapted to admit air to the suction side of the element which is located in the chamber.

3. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, two reciprocating elements moving in opposition to each other, one being arranged in the chamber, said chamber being open to outside air, said exhausting device operating to move that one of the elements which is located in the cylinder, to shift the other element whereby the latter will move the former upon the cessation of the operation of the suction device, and a check device for controlling the suction inlet.

4. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, two reciprocating elements moving in opposition to each other, one being arranged in the chamber, said chamber being open to outside air, said exhausting device operating to move that one of the elements which is located in the cylinder, to shift the other element, whereby the latter will move the former upon the cessation of the operation of the suction device, and an adjustable check device for controlling the suction inlet.

5. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber, a piston reciprocable therein, an exhausting device connected with the chamber and operating to move the piston in one direction, means for moving the piston in the opposite direc tion, said chamber having an inlet, and means operating to relieve suction through the inlet by the operation of the exhausting device, when the piston has been moved to a predetermined position by the said exhausting device.

6. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber, having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, means reciprocable in the chamber and operating during its movement in one direction in the chamber to create suction through the inlet, and being responsive in its movement in the opposite direction to the action of the exhausting device, and means arranged within the path of movement of a portion of the first recited means and operating to displace the said portion to admit outside air to the said exhausting device.

'1'. An apparatus for producing a vacu-' um, embodying a chamber, having a suction inlet, an exhausting device also having communication with the chamber, means reciprocable in the chamber and operating during its movement in one direction in the chamber to create suction through the inlet, and being responsive in its movement in the opposite direction to the action of the exhausting device, and means arranged within the path of the movement of a portion of the first recited means and operating to displace the said portion to admit outside air to the said exhausting device and through the said chamber.

8. An apparatus for producing avacuum, embodying a chamber, having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having communication with the chamber, a piston reciprocable in the chamber, means for moving the piston in one direction, said piston being responsive in its movement in the opposite direction to the action of the said exhausting device, and means disposed within the chamber and operating to form a passage for air from one side to the other side of the piston when the latter reaches a predetermined point in its movement.

9. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying a chamber, having a suction inlet, an exhausting device having com-- munication with the chamber, a piston reciprocable in the chamber, means for moving the piston in one direction, said piston being responsive in its movement in the opposite direction to the action of the said exhausting device, and means adapted to admit air to the side of the piston on which the suction device operates toiovercome the suction of the exhausting device through the inlet.

10. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying an upright cylinder open to the outside air, a piston; reciprocable therein, a weight, a connection bet-ween the weight and piston whereby one will move in opposition to the other, said cylinder also having a suction inlet, and a suction device also having communication with the cylinder, said suction device operating to move the piston to set the weight whereby the latter will move the piston upon the cessation of the operation of the suction device.

11. An apparatus for producing a vacuum, embodying an upright cylinder open to the outside air, a piston reciprocable therein, a weight, a connection between the weight and piston whereby one will move in opposition to the other, said cylinder having a suction inlet, a suction device also having communication with the cylinder, said suction device operating to move the piston to in one direction, said suction device operating to move the piston in the opposite direction, said piston embodying a flexible element engaging the chamber Wall, and means for moving a portion of the flexible element away from the chamber Wall to create an air passage from one side to the other side of the piston When the latter reaches a predetermined point in its travel.

13. An apparatus for producing a vacuum embodying a chamber having a suction inlet, a piston movable therein, and a suction device having communication With the chamber means for moving the piston in one direction, said suction device operating to move the piston in the opposite direction,

said piston embodying a flexible element en gaging the chamber Wall, there being a projection on the chamber wall adapted to de fleet a port-ion of the flexible element to form an air passage past the piston when the latter reaches a predetermined point in its movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 17th day of April, A. D. 1913.

JOHN I. McCORMICK.

Witnesses FRANK N. REED, FLORENCE E. SQHULTZ.

Games of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

